“Happy New Year” from the Battlefields of World War I

In the Society’s manuscript collections is a cache of letters sent by former sign-painter, Pvt. Salvatore Cillis of the 306th Field Artillery from Camp Upton, Long Island and France. Written between 1917 and 1918, Cillis’ good-natured, humorous observations are complemented by several pen and ink and watercolor sketches enlightening his former co-workers about camp life. Shown here is one of his festive and typically light-hearted letters. He discusses the snowball fight depicted in his hand-drawn letterhead.

This post was created by intern Alison Dundy.
The illustrated letters of Salvator Cillis are a highlight of the New-York Historical Society's World War I Collection (MS 671). Cillis was an artist with an edgy sense of humor. His humorous letters and drawings trace the arc of this soldier's war experience, from enthusiastic patriotism at the start of service, to good-natured endurance of the drudgery of training, to battle-weary longing for a safe return home to...Read More

Few would argue that the events of December 8, 1941 match in significance the catastrophic events of the previous day but it's worth recalling that this was the day Congress actually voted to declare war on Japan. Though the vote was all but a foregone conclusion, there was yet a lone voice of dissent to which Milton Halsey Thomas, then curator of Columbiana at Columbia University, makes brief reference in his diary:
The Senate voted unanimously, and in the House there was only...Read More

This post was written by library intern Jacob Laurenti
The digitization of collections is a controversial issue at museums and libraries. It can be both expensive and time-consuming, and some argue that the quality and detail of artwork is lost in the digitization process. But there are also obvious benefits to scanning photographs, manuscripts and other parts of a collection and making them available on the web. It allows for widespread access to these items,...Read More